CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Even with a strong pill, my sleep was restless. I woke up feeling like I hadn’t slept a minute. Sitting at my kitchen table, I gulped down a strong, bitter coffee, refreshing all the major local news websites. When Hayden’s name finally appeared on my screen, it felt as if I’d been electrified.
‘Local detective, Hayden Scott, has gone missing in what is believed to be a drug-related incident.’
I read on, barely stomaching the lies the police had fed the press.
‘The police are asking anyone with possible leads to come forward.’
A troubling thought surfaced in my mind. Had the police just made it easier for The Society to kill Hayden? They had practically given them a cover story, so what stopped them from killing him and dumping his body for the police to find? Case closed.
I snapped my laptop shut, almost hitting my fingers. I couldn’t let such thoughts set roots, not when every minute was crucial.
The Chief hadn’t given me Tammy’s phone number, just her address. When I searched for it online, it didn’t seem as if anyone lived on Cotharin Road in Malibu—at least not on the section of the road where Tammy allegedly lived.
I was about to get ready to leave when Jenny called. I picked up, and she immediately exclaimed, “Oh my God, I just saw the news! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I—”
“Oh no! Don’t tell me you haven’t heard yet. Am I breaking it down to you right now? Please don’t say that I’m doing that!”
“Calm down; I know already.”
She let out a breath. “Good—I mean bad ! This is very bad. Do you know more than what they’re saying on the news?”
I itched to share the truth with her and unload some of this burden, but I couldn’t put her in danger. “I don’t know anything else. The police… they’re investigating.”
“They better! Are you coming to the studio?”
“No, I have things to take care of.”
“You shouldn’t be alone, Jonah. I can come over to your place.”
“Thanks, Jen, but I’m okay. I’ll speak with you later.”
“I’ll be waiting for your call. You’re not alone in this, okay, hon?”
That one got to me, making my eyes sting with gratitude. But like it or not, I was alone in this, unless I’d get Hayden’s mysterious aunt to help. I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Thank you.”
*
For someone who had spent years mostly driving from his house to his studio, I’ve been seeing more of California lately than I have in ages. And if it meant I might catch the attention of The Society, so be it. It could end up being my fastest way to their estate—or to a bullet in my head.
I didn’t know whether Tammy would be home. The woman was an enigma, and even Hayden had been vague about her story. LA’s wide roads grew narrower the farther I drove. When I reached Cotharin Road, I slowed down so I wouldn’t miss the address, though I didn’t notice any houses around. It was the kind of road you drove along to reach somewhere else. Was that why Tammy chose this place?
If it hadn’t been for the faded red mailbox on the side of the road, I would have missed my destination. I squeezed the brakes and drove back, glad there wasn’t any traffic behind me. Beyond an iron fence and between clustered trees, I could just barely spot a house. The number on the mailbox confirmed I was at the right place. Since I couldn’t park on the side of the road, I eased my way through the gap in the fence, which was barely wide enough for my car to squeeze through.
I slowed to a stop when I reached the front of the one-story house. The walls had been painted blue, but time had faded them into pale gray. An old Ford was parked close by, next to a small, well-tended vegetable garden.
I killed the engine and climbed out. An angry flock of birds chirped as if urging me to turn back. Before I could take one step, I heard the approaching sound of footsteps on a wooden floor. The front door creaked open, and an older woman stepped out. The first thing I noticed was her shotgun, aimed at the floor—for now. She stood stiff like a pole, emphasizing her six-foot height. She wore black sweatpants and a denim jacket with patches, her long, gray hair blowing in the warm wind.
“Whatever you’re here to sell, you’ve come to the wrong place.”
The birds grew quiet as if to listen.
“I’m not here to sell.”
She sized me up, her face stoic and unreadable. She might have been pretty back in the day, but her demeanor was too frigid now. “Then what do you want?”
“Are you Tammy?” It felt polite to ask, although I had no doubt.
“Who’s asking?”
“Jonah Carter. I’m a friend of Hayden.”
“As in my nephew Hayden?”
“Yes.”
She sized me up again. “I assume you wouldn’t have come here if everything was okay.”
I nodded. “Can we talk inside?”
She gestured with her head for me to come in, then turned and walked inside. I exhaled and followed her. The second I stepped inside the house, I noticed the smell of herbs—not unpleasant, but overwhelming. The kitchen was small and packed with too many plants. The living room was on the other side, slightly bigger but with even less furniture than I had.
“Tea?” she asked.
I was about to decline, but this was going to be a long talk. “Yes, thank you.”
“You like your tea fruity.” A statement, not a question, but she was right. I sat at the small kitchen table, my hands on my knees. Like in my house, there were no family photos on the walls.
Standing with her back to me as she prepared the tea, she asked, “Are you Hayden’s lover?”
“I… yes.”
“He mentioned you a while back. I thought you two were over. It didn’t sound like a pleasant breakup, though he didn’t go into the specifics.”
“It wasn’t pleasant.”
I heard her crumbling leaves. “And now you two are back together?”
“Yes.”
“Sex must be good.” She put a kettle on the stove.
I didn’t know if she expected an answer, but I asked instead, “When did you last speak with Hayden?”
“He stopped by a few months ago for my birthday. He brought a carrot cake that was almost inedible, but the gesture was sweet.”
“Were you two close when he was younger?” It felt like I should know her better before confiding in her.
The kettle began to shriek. She picked it up and poured hot water into a teapot, then placed it on the table. She brought two porcelain cups and poured tea into them.
Once we both had our tea, she sat down on the other side of the small table. “Hayden and I were never close when he was growing up.” She held her cup as if oblivious to the heat. “His father was—well, is—a righteous asshole who preferred to keep his family away from his particular sister. When Hayden grew older and began rebelling, I was already with the Feds, and he found that interesting. When he joined the police in Phoenix, I told him he was wasting his time in the kiddie league, but he wanted to start from the bottom. At least they were smart enough to promote him to a detective quickly.” She took a sip. “Drink. It’s not too hot.”
I lifted the cup and took a sip. It was too hot, but it was also the best tea I’d ever tasted, and I knew my way around tea. “It’s good.”
She took another sip, then went to open the cabinet, from which she plunked out a pack of cigarettes. She pulled out one and stood next to the kitchen window. “You smoke?”
“I’d rather not.”
She lit the cigarette and took a lungful, holding the smoke in her lungs for almost ten seconds before blowing it out the window. “What happened to my nephew?”
“He’s been kidnapped. The police released a statement today that it had something to do with a drug investigation, but that’s a lie.”
“And you know that how?”
“I know who kidnapped him.”
She took another long drag. Despite her stoic expression, I could spot the tension in her bony shoulders. “Who told you where I live?”
“Hayden’s boss.”
“Ray?”
In the back of my mind, I remembered that was his name. “Yes, the Chief.”
“Why would Ray send you to me instead of doing his job? He’s a capable policeman, and he likes Hayden.”
To explain that part, I needed to open up about the events that had led me here. I dreaded going through that tale again, but I could tell she wouldn’t help unless she could trust me. “Are you in a hurry?” I asked. “It will take some time.”
“I think I can push back my meetings at the country club. Go on.”
*
It was getting dark outside by the time I finished recounting the main events leading up to that moment. A nice, cool breeze blew in through the window, making the curtain dance. At the start of my story, Tammy had listened without interrupting, but her FBI instincts quickly kicked in. She didn't doubt my words, but she did ask for further clarification, which at least meant she wasn’t taking this lightly.
“Has anyone from The Society tried to contact you since Hayden was kidnapped?” she asked from across the table, an unlit cigarette between her fingers.
“No, and I don’t expect them to. This isn’t about sending me a message. Hayden went too far and came too close to the truth, so they decided to get him out of the way.”
“You said you wanted him to drop the investigation.”
“I did. I feared something like this might happen, but Hayden was…”
“Stubborn like a mule? Yeah, that’s my nephew.” She lit the cigarette and watched me closely. “So, they kidnapped Hayden and killed your former agent. No offense, but doesn’t it make sense for them to take you out as well? If they wanted to keep their existence a secret, I’d start with getting rid of you.”
Her question poked too close to what I wasn’t willing to share, not even with Hayden. “I don’t know why I’m alive, but maybe they don’t know of my involvement. Hayden’s visit to Amanda could have been what got him. He went there blindly, while I bribed my way inside with Eliot’s help.”
“Can you be sure Eliot doesn’t know where they are?”
“Yes.”
“What about the man you bribed? Can we get anything out of him?”
“From Frank? He calls them the Shadow People. He doesn’t seem to know anything about who they are, but we don’t need him.”
“Because you have the location of the motel?”
“Yes. That’s our best chance at finding them.”
She leaned forward, holding my gaze. “That brings us to the most important question—is Hayden even alive?”
I swallowed my anger, knowing that question had to be asked. ”He’s alive. I’m sure.”
I couldn’t read her expression as she blew smoke from the corner of her mouth. “One thing still bugs me, though. That video of Nick that appeared on the Darknet—it goes against everything you’ve told me about them.”
“There was no such thing as the internet when I was there, so maybe they were reckless. It could be that one of their members has posted it.”
“Hmm.” She stubbed out the cigarette and crossed her arms. “I don’t have a way to dig into that. The internet was just picking up speed before I left the FBI. Let’s leave it as a question mark in this investigation.”
“This is not an investigation. Investigations are slow—this is a rescue mission. I’ve done the investigating part, and it has led me to that motel.”
She cocked her head. “About that. You didn’t explain how you got Eliot to help you find the motel. You just mentioned it had something to do with his brother, The Director.”
I shifted in my seat. “It doesn’t matter.”
“If you want my help—”
“You’ll help me regardless because this is your nephew—unless you’re a cold, heartless bitch.”
Her nostrils flared, and I prepared myself for a fight, but she ended up asking, “Are you hungry?”
“I… what? Yes, I think so.”
“Still vegetarian?”
“Hayden told you that?”
“Might’ve mentioned it.”
“I still am.”
“My condolences. A salad and an omelet, then.”
“You don’t have to cook.”
She rose to her feet. “It’s not a five-course meal.”
I watched as she opened her old fridge and took out some vegetables. She placed them on the counter and started cutting. With her back to me, she asked, “Did Hayden talk about his family?”
“A bit. I know he has issues with his father.”
She snorted. “I guess you can put it like that. Mark’s the last man on earth who’d be okay with having a gay son. He was always as straight as an arrow, while I was the opposite. My parents used to hate that about me. They thought I was a dyke for a while, as if that could explain my behavior. When Mark had Hayden, I kept my distance. It was clear he’d raise the boy to be his spitting image, and I wasn’t going to waste my time watching it happen. By the time Hayden finished high school, I was already with the FBI. He came to visit me in LA, which gave us a chance to talk. It turned out my nephew wasn’t a reflection of his dreadful father.”
“Did he want to be a cop back then?”
Tammy started the stove and took out eggs from the fridge. “He wanted to help others, but his grades weren’t good enough for medical school. Maybe if he hadn’t been pushed into football by Mark, he would’ve had more opportunities to use his brain.”
She placed a bowl of salad on the table. I was glad to see she used avocado.
“Tell me more about your plan for that motel.”
I opened my mouth and quickly shut it. I didn’t have much of a plan, and a former FBI agent would easily realize that. I cleared my throat. “The place is called Delight’s Hot Springs Resort, out in Tecopa. I want to rent a room there for a few days to gather information. Once I find out when they’re picking up the employees, I’ll follow them as far as I can, hopefully to The Society’s current estate.”
She remained quiet for a few moments, then placed two plates with an omelet on the table and sat back down. “Their estate is likely somewhere in the desert,” she said. “It won't be hard to catch you tracking them. But assuming you end up finding the place, then what?”
“I’ll call the Chief, or whichever local police they have there. They’ll search inside and find Hayden and whoever else they have locked in there.”
“You’ll need a warrant for anyone to search inside, which might give them enough time to get rid of anyone they’ve been keeping there. Not much of a plan.”
I gripped my fork tighter. “I thought that getting help from a former FBI agent would help me with the planning part.”
She shrugged. “Never said I was good at my job. Eat.”
I sighed and began eating. The food might have been basic, but she added an extra kick to everything. I was a slow eater, but she was even slower. We ate in silence, and when I finished, I asked, “Why aren’t you with the FBI anymore?” I knew it was a loaded question, but if I was going to put my life in her hands, I needed to know what had caused her to end up in the middle of nowhere.
“I destroyed the life of my captain,” she said after a long pause. “He ended up blowing his head off.”
“What do you mean by destroying his life? I’m sure you didn’t do that on purpose.”
“That depends on who you’re asking.”
“I’m asking you.”
“Did I want him to commit suicide? Of course not. But he was a coward, and cowards aren’t known for making brave decisions.”
“What happened that made you go after him?”
She put her fork down, her omelet half-eaten. “He cut corners in places he shouldn’t have, and that made me suspicious. I kept an eye on him for a while, until I discovered he was sabotaging certain investigations, all connected to a specific crime organization we’d been trying to bring down for years.”
“Did he work for them?”
“That was never proven, but money had changed hands between them. When I had enough evidence to take him down, I went straight to the top and laid it all on the table. I didn’t expect a medal, but I also didn’t expect to be treated like an inconvenience. It was the late ‘80s, and the FBI was very much a boys’ club. When I realized a few weeks later that they were trying to bury the case and transfer him to a different department, I raised hell. They ended up charging him, but he killed himself before he could stand trial.”
“Did they fire you?”
“No, but there are ways to make someone leave without dealing with bureaucracy. I was a persona non grata, and my career was going nowhere. Since I wasn’t going to make their lives easy, I negotiated an early retirement settlement.”
By the way she said it, I gathered that hadn’t been enough to sweeten the pill.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
She shrugged. “Old water under a rusty bridge.”
“I want to drive to the motel tomorrow. I don’t know how long I’ll need to stay there, but I could use a backup. Will you join me?”
She rolled her eyes. “No, I’ll stay here drinking tea while my nephew’s life is in danger. Fuck off, Jonah.” She added a wink at the end of her outburst, taking the edge off her words.
I exhaled, my body lighter. I already felt less alone in this.
“That thing in your leg—are we sure it isn’t tracking you now?”
I shook my head. “I can’t be sure, but we’re not that far from LA.”
“And when we’re at the motel?”
“I don’t know. I guess it’s a risk we’ll need to take. I don’t have time to go through surgery.”
“Hmm.” She nodded to herself like she’d made a decision, but all she said was, “It’s getting late.”
I glanced out the window, noticing it had gotten dark while we spoke. “I better head back home.”
“We should leave early tomorrow, so best for you to spend the night here. I have a spare room. We’ll make a stop to see a friend of mine on the way to the motel tomorrow. He used to work with my unit back in the day.”
“Okay. I have a bag with clothes in my car.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“I was thinking of driving straight to the motel if you’d refused to help.”
Tammy nodded and stood up. “I’ll go make up your room. You’ve been sleeping poorly lately.”
She didn’t say it as a question, meaning I must have looked as beat as I felt. I went to bring my bag from the car, then waited in the kitchen until she returned. “Room’s ready. The birds wake up early around here, so it’s a good time to call it a night.”
She also seemed tired, reminding me I hadn’t been the only one who unpacked today.
Lying in her small guest room with the cold breeze blowing through the window, I was out within minutes, one step closer to finding Hayden.